The moon was very big, and shone pale and silver-like, over the long hallways of the Blackstone mansion. Sienna was still scraping the floor of the ceremonial hall when a tall, quiet servant who had closed the door earlier pushed it open again, holding a tray on which was placed a scroll and a decanter of dark wine.

"The Alpha must have this brought to his room" he said, and handed them into her trembling hand.

Her heart sank. She wasn't ready to face him. Not after watching him mark Renna in front of the entire pack. Not after he, a man whose touch still haunted her skin, allowed her to be publicly reduced to a servant.

But she couldn't refuse. Refusal was not an option anymore to someone like her.

She went down the dark passages in the wing of the Alpha, with the slippers parting the smooth floors, and the wine sloshing about a bit in the glass decanter. At the door there were two guards who did not say a word, but nodded, and moved away. One of them smirked.

Sienna stepped inside. The chamber was a warm room with a hazy orange glow of a hearth. Ryder was seated in a chair before the fire in his white shirt which had turned up quite at the collar, and before him lay a half-finished glass of wine.

He made no sign. "You came."

Sienna said nothing. Her voice had abandoned her the day she watched him press a mark into another woman's flesh.

She walked to the table beside him and placed the scroll and wine there carefully, ready to turn and leave. She had made it three steps when he spoke again.

"Sienna." She froze at the sound of her name been called by the very man who couldn't stand for her.

"Stay." He commanded but with a calm voice

Her hands balled into fists at her sides. "I was told only to deliver the wine. Nothing more."

He stood slowly, his movements fluid, almost predatory. "And I told you to stay."

She turned then, meeting his eyes. For the first time since the ceremony, they were alone. And whatever shield Ryder had put up in public was gone now.

"Why?" she asked, her voice quiet, trembling. "So you can watch me bow again? Humiliate me in private, too?"

His gaze didn't flinch. "I never wanted to humiliate you."

"But you did."

He looked at her for a long moment, then moved to the table, poured a second glass, and held it out to her. "Drink."

She didn't take it.

"I'm not here to share drinks with you," she said.

"Then what are you here for? To keep your head down and scrub the hallways while they whisper about you? To let Zane win?"

His voice had deepened, and there was something sharp in it. Something personal.

She didn't answer. Her silence filled the room like smoke.

He stepped closer, the wine still in his hand. "I saw your face during the marking. I saw the way it has affected you, I saw everything.

Sienna turned away, and he took her chin, returned her whole face to his. His fingers were so warm against her, his hand hot. She should've pulled away. She didn't.

"You felt it too, didn't you? The bond. It didn't break."

Her voice came out in a whisper. "It hurt."

He was leaning so that his lips were an inch from hers. " You know it, don't deny it. You felt the pull, that you were supposed to be my mate."

Something in her chest twisted violently. Her breath hitched. The firelight danced in his eyes, and for a second, she forgot everything, Renna, Zane, the ceremony. There was not a single thing except Ryder and the warmth coiling up between them.

He was caressing her face, doing it with his hand as he first touched her chin and then her neck, below her jawline. Her skin tingled when he touched it.

"Ryder..." she whispered.

But the half door flew open. Zane was standing in the doorway and his featureless face was turned towards her. His glance moved quickly to the hand of Ryder upon the throat of Sienna, to the expression of her eye.

"I hope I am not intruding myself."

Ryder stepped back immediately. That instant was broken up.

Sienna turned her face in shame and bent her head. She could feel Zane's eyes burning into her.

Zane entered the room, and shut the door with a sharp snap. "I just came here to talk about the border patrols but this is so much more fun."

Ryder's jaw tensed. "Leave, Zane."

Zane chuckled, eyes still on Sienna. "You really think you can hide it? I saw everything. The Alpha and his servant girl. How noble."

He turned to Sienna, voice low and cruel. "Don't get too comfortable. You may warm his room, but it won't change your status. You remain the rejected." Then, softer, more dangerous: "Touch him again, and I'll make sure you regret it."

Sienna said nothing. She didn't trust her voice not to crack. She turned and walked past Zane without meeting his eyes.

Behind her, Ryder said nothing.

---

She barely made it back to the servants' wing before the tears came. She felt the cold stone wall at her back as she pressed her back on it, her heart beating fast.

Ryder had touched her. He had almost kissed her. He hadn't rejected her. But he hadn't stopped Zane either.

She huddled on the little cot at the side of the room to which she was allotted, and held the blanket across her chest in an attempt to repel what had scarcely occurred. She could still hear the voice of Ryder, she could still feel his touch and his eyes focused on her.

There deep-down in her mind, something dangerous awakening. Hope.

---

In another part of the mansion, Zane stood at Renna's door.

"He touched her," he said flatly.

Renna's smile faded.

"In his chambers. Alone. It's starting."

Renna clenched her jaw. "He marked me. She means nothing."

Zane leaned in. "Let's make sure it stays that way. Let her stay in the Luna's wing. Let her serve you closely. He'll have to see her every day. If she has even a flicker of hope left, we'll burn it out."

Renna hesitated, then nodded. "She won't survive this."

Zane smiled. "That's the plan."

The crowd outside the Luna Court Hall buzzed with whispers and judgment. It wasn't a celebration today. It was purifying, that is what they dubbed it.

Sienna was standing at the side entrance, and her shoulders were shaking in that thin gray dress which showed itself on her like a kind of disgrace. She was sleepy-eyed and her lips were parched, and her feet were bare on the waxed floor.

A guard behind her nudged her forward. "Move, disgrace."

She lost her footing, and fell forward, collapsing but caught herself up just in time. Within the hall, Alphas, Betas, she-wolves of stature, were in their places, ranging in rows. They turned to look as the doors opened and Sienna entered.

Gasps filled the room. Some people looked away. Others didn't bother hiding their smirks.

"She's the one who tried to steal the Alpha," someone whispered.

"Look at her. Doesn't even look like a wolf anymore."

Sienna flushed. She closed her eyes, and wished she might: or that the earth might open, and sink her down among its rocks.

On the opposite side of the hall, in his ceremonial chair, sat Alpha Ryder, dignified in his black with silver embroidery. His wife, Renna, was beside him in white. Her lips curled in victory.

The elder council sat behind them, watching. Judging.

"Bring her forward," one of them said.

Two guards stepped up, dragging Sienna toward the center of the hall. She didn't resist. There was no point.

She was standing near the silver chandelier and she could be seen by everyone. Her gaze was on Ryder, seeking something, anything in his face.

However, he did not look at her. He wouldn't even meet her eyes.

"Let the Luna speak," the elder declared.

Ronnie advanced forthwith, a palm poised delicately over her chest. Her voice was shaking, it was false and sweet, but was loud enough for all to hear.

"I never wanted to do this. I only want peace in our pack. But I must speak the truth. This... girl has tried to come between me and my mate. She used her scent, her body, to tempt him before our bonding. She knew he belonged to me, and still-"

"That's not true!" Sienna shouted, her voice cracking.

But the gasps drowned her out. One elder banged a staff to the floor.

"Silence, girl!"

Renna's eyes shimmered with crocodile tears. "I begged her to stop. I warned her. But she wouldn't listen. And now, the pack is divided, ashamed. I ask only for justice."

From the back, a few she-wolves began to clap.

Ryder still didn't speak.

Then Zane stood up. "I confirm her story," he said coldly. "This girl has brought nothing but shame since the day she entered our territory."

Sienna felt her knees go weak. The room swam around her. She turned, slowly, to look at Ryder again.

Please, say something. Defend me. But Ryder's eyes were cold. Distant. His hands clenched on the armrests, but his lips stayed shut.

The elder council whispered among themselves.

"She's already been rejected," one said.

"Her wolf hasn't returned. She's unstable."

"She should be cast out," another muttered.

Renna stepped forward again. "No," she said sweetly. "Let her stay. Let her live under my roof... as a servant. Let her remember what she tried to take from me."

A twisted kind of silence fell over the room. One elder raised an eyebrow.

"You're willing to let her serve in your home?"

Renna smiled. "The sign of a good Luna is to forgive."

The words were unbelievable to Sienna.

One guard yelled, "on your knees."

She made no movement. The very next one, a boot smashed her on the hind leg and she went down. Her palms hit the marble floor. Her head bowed low.

And still, Ryder said nothing.

The council agreed to the punishment. She would remain in the Alpha's mansion not as a guest, not as a warrior but as a maid.

A servant to the very couple who had broken her.

---

But that same night in the servant quarters there was no ceasing of the whispers.

"Do you believe that she made a serious attempt to sleep with him?"

"Of course. That's what rogues do."

"Don't look her in the eye. Might curse you."

Someone tossed a pile of laundry onto her lap. "Make sure you scrub the Luna's underthings well," a she-wolf sneered. "She wouldn't want any of your scent lingering on them."

Sienna said nothing. Her hands shook. She attempted but she could not fold the clothes neatly because her fingers were weak.

Her cheek was slapped, smack! "You're too slow," the same maid hissed. "You're lucky the Luna even lets you breathe."

Sienna held her face and stayed still. She wouldn't cry. Not tonight and definitely not again.

---

She turned a corner later, as she was going up with towels to the private chamber of Ryder above, and stood motionless.

At the other end of the hall was Ryder, shirtless. Just coming back from running with dark hair wet that curls at his temples. His chest glistening with perspiration.

He saw her. They both froze.

For a moment, the hallway felt too narrow. Too hot. She turned to walk away, but his voice stopped her.

"Sienna."

Her name in his voice still made her knees tremble. She turned slowly.

He stepped closer. "You hate me now?" he asked quietly.

She didn't answer.

He was now only some inches away. He held his hand out, and wiped a lock of hair off hers. She did not move.

"I told myself I had no choice," he whispered. "But maybe I did."

Her breath caught in her throat. His fingers lingered at her jawline.

For one second, just one, she thought he might kiss her. She leaned in, barely. Then he dropped his hand and stepped back.

"You should hate me," he said. "It'll make it easier."

And then he walked away, leaving her standing alone, holding towels that suddenly felt too heavy.

---

The next morning, Renna summoned all the servants to the main hall.

Sienna arrived last, still wearing the gray uniform, her head low.

Renna stood in front of everyone, holding her Luna ring in her palm.

"This," she said, "is a symbol of my title. My power. My place beside the Alpha."

She dropped it on the floor. It landed with a soft clink.

Renna smiled. "Sienna, be useful. Fetch it for me."

Sienna didn't move.

Renna's voice turned sharp. "With your teeth."

Gasps echoed through the room. Sienna looked up, her lips parting.

"You heard me. On all fours. Like the little mutt you are."

The crowd waited. From the corner of her eye, Sienna saw Ryder walk in. Their eyes met.

"Please," she begged silently. "Please stop this."

He looked at her. Then he looked away. The silence broke her more than a thousand screams ever could.

Sienna's heart cracked again. But her legs moved. She sank to her knees and crept on. And with an instant of stinging her lips, she opened her mouth and bit on the ring, picking it up. The metal was cold and bitter.

She raised herself up with a laborious effort, and clenched her teeth. And in that breathing space, there was a voice in her saying, "You will not lie long."

The taste of metal lingered in my mouth for hours after. Not just the ring, though God knows that was bitter enough but the taste of my own blood where I'd bitten my tongue to keep from screaming. To keep from begging. To keep from breaking completely.

I sat in my closet that night, knees drawn to my chest, staring at the crack of light under the door. My hands wouldn't stop shaking. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw their faces. The satisfaction in Renna's smile. The way the other servants had looked at me not with pity, but with relief that it wasn't them on their hands and knees.

And Ryder. God, Ryder.

The way he'd looked at me in that hallway, like he wanted to say something, do something. The way his fingers had traced my face like I was something precious. And then... nothing. He'd watched me crawl across that marble floor like an animal and done absolutely nothing.

I pressed my palms against my eyes, but the tears came anyway. Hot and angry and full of everything I couldn't say out loud.

How have I gotten here? Six months ago, I was planning a wedding. Dreaming about the future. Believing that love could conquer anything, even a cold husband who barely looked at me. I'd been so stupid. So naive.

Now I was nobody. Less than nobody.

The door creaked open and I flinched, pulling the thin blanket tighter around my shoulders. It was Maya, one of the kitchen girls. She slipped inside with a small plate of bread and cheese.

"Thought you might be hungry," she whispered.

I stared at the food. When was the last time I'd eaten? Yesterday? The day before? Everything blurred together now.

"Why?" My voice came out hoarse, broken.

Maya crouched down beside me. "Because you're still human. Even if they want you to forget it."

I looked at her then, really looked. She was young, maybe nineteen, with kind eyes and calloused hands. "Aren't you afraid they'll see you helping me?"

She shrugged. "Everyone's afraid of something. Doesn't mean we stop being decent."

I took the bread with trembling fingers. It tasted like sawdust, but I forced myself to eat. Maya watched me carefully.

"My grandmother used to tell me stories," she said quietly. "About wolves who forgot they could howl. They lived so long in silence that they believed they'd lost their voice forever. But voices don't disappear, you know. They just... wait."

Something cracked inside my chest. "I can't even feel my wolf anymore. She's gone."

"Or she's protecting herself. Waiting for the right moment."

Maya squeezed my hand once and slipped back out, leaving me alone with her words and the lingering warmth of human kindness.

But kindness wasn't enough. Not anymore.

The next morning brought fresh humiliation. Renna had decided I should serve at the Alpha's breakfast meeting with the neighboring pack leaders. Important men discussing important things while I poured their coffee and pretended not to exist.

I kept my head down, moved quietly, tried to blend into the wallpaper. But I could feel their eyes on me. Heard their whispered comments.

"That's her? The one who tried to seduce the Alpha?"

"Pathetic. Look how far she's fallen."

"Good lesson for any she-wolf who thinks she can rise above her station."

My hands shook as I reached for Ryder's empty cup. Our fingers brushed for just a second, and electricity shot up my arm. He felt it too, I saw the way his jaw tightened, the way his breathing changed.

But when I looked at his face, it was a mask. Cold. Distant. Like I was nothing.

That's when something inside me finally snapped.

I straightened up, slowly. The coffee pot was heavy in my hands. The room went quiet as I stood there, no longer cowering, no longer invisible.

"Excuse me," one of the pack leaders said, irritated. "Did someone ask you to stand?"

I looked at him. Really looked. This man who thought he had the right to judge me. Who thought my pain was entertainment.

"No," I said quietly. "No one asked me to stand."

Renna's face went white. "Sienna, sit down. Now."

But I didn't move. I looked around the room, at all these powerful people who'd watched me be destroyed and done nothing. At Ryder, who'd held my face like I mattered and then let them tear me apart.

"I used to wonder," I said, my voice growing stronger, "what I did wrong. What terrible thing I'd done to deserve this. But I know now."

"Shut your mouth," Renna hissed.

"I was born a woman," I continued, ignoring her. "In a world where that means I can be used. Traded. Broken. Thrown away when I'm no longer convenient."

Zane started to stand, but I kept talking.

"You drugged me. You manipulated me. You stole my inheritance, my name, my dignity. You made me crawl on the floor like an animal. And you called it justice."

The coffee pot was shaking in my hands now, but not from fear. From rage. Pure, clean rage.

"But here's what you forgot," I said, meeting Ryder's eyes for the first time. "You forgot that broken things still have edges. And sometimes, those edges cut back."

I set the coffee pot down carefully on the table. The silence was deafening.

Then I walked out.

I walked out of that room, down the hallway, past the guards who were too shocked to stop me. I walked until I reached the gardens, until I could breathe again, until the sun hit my face and reminded me that I was still alive.

Behind me, I heard shouting. Running footsteps. But for the first time in months, I didn't care. I had found my voice. And I was done being silent.